Blizzard wants no catch-up mechanics in Forever

Blizzard wants to avoid catch-up mechanics in World of Warcraft: Forever. In an interview, Mike Nuthals and Tim Jones explain that catch-up gear makes the work of players who got there first worth less. The economy gets a weekly report.

No catch-up, your own pace

The level cap stays at 60 and the number of raids is limited, so the team hopes you find a group that fits what you look for. Playing at your own pace is fine, they say. The first raids open on 9 December.

Bosses with quirky mechanics

The team played a lot of Classic, from dungeons to raids, and looked at how complex fights were and how long they lasted. New content has to feel like it belongs in the old game. The first ideas for bosses felt too much like retail, with a lot of running around. Now the team looks for quirky mechanics that make you use the buttons of your class, and a QA group playtests every encounter.

What later patches can bring

New patches could bring a PvP season, reputations, recipes and profession updates, but also zones, quests, secrets and dungeons. There should be something for players of every level.

The economy

Blizzard says it watches the economy more closely than ever. Every week the team gets a report on it. Not every problem gets caught in advance, but once one is known, the fix comes quickly. If a gold farm needs fixing on a weekend, Tim Jones will come in for it. That happened already with the Iron Grenade, and suspicious trades get frozen.